1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to accessories for in-line roller skates and, more particularly, to a walking sole into which the wheels of a skate can be easily inserted, securely maintained while inserted, and then easily removed. The walking sole includes a planar bottom surface so that a user wearing a sole on each skate can walk freely, even on stairs, ramps, rough surfaces and hills.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent times, the roller skating public increasingly has come to prefer in-line-type skates over skates having tandem wheels. In-line skates are available under various brand names as, for example, ROLLERBLADE which is a trademark of Rollerblade, Inc. of Minnetonka, Minn. and are characterized by a shoe attached to a skate assembly having three or more linearly-aligned wheels centrally located beneath the shoe. The skate assembly typically includes a rigid undercarriage riveted or otherwise rigidly fastened to the bottom of the shoe. The wheels usually are adjustably secured to the undercarriage.
In-line roller skates are extremely unstable when a person attempts to walk on an uneven or irregular surface. For example, going up or down stairs may be dangerous if not infeasible, unless a handrail can be continuously gripped, since the skates may uncontrollably roll on and over the stair treads. Uncontrolled rolling may also occur when skates are worn while attempting to traverse a slippery or sand-covered surface. More than 100,000 serious accidents occur annually involving in-line skates. Many of the accidents happen to novices who encounter situations where they lose control of balance and suffer injury from the resulting fall. Because of the danger posed by skaters to themselves and bystanders and the consequent risk of lawsuits, commercial establishments and public facilities such as restaurants, convenience stores and post offices bar individuals wearing in-line skates from entering their premises. Even if no accident occurs, in-line skates can mar and permanently damage floor surfaces such as linoleum, due to the high pressure exerted by the small contact area of the wheels.
Our U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,643 ("'643") discloses an in-line skate with an attached walker that is pivotable downward to interpose a flat walking surface between the skate wheels and ground, and pivotable upward away from the wheels and skate undercarriage so as not to interfere with skating. The walker includes a flange bolted to the undercarriage connected by a hinge to an angle member to which is attached a walking sole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,275 ("'275") to B. C. Smith et al. discloses a guard device configured to closely fit over the wheels of an in-line skate. The device includes a wheel-receiving trough above a base member whose underside has a ground-contacting bottom surface, and whose top surface has concavities shaped to closely receive the wheels. The base member is bounded by forward and rearward blocking portions which prevent rolling motion fore and aft. The skate is secured to the device by loops around the rear and toe portions of the skate boot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,224 ("'224") to J. D. Anderson et al. discloses a removable wheel cover for an in-line skate. The cover includes a front boot adapted to receive the skate's front wheel, and a rear boot adapted to receive the skate's rear wheel. The two boots are connected by a pair of flexible, resilient straps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,090 ("'090") to J. R. Davies discloses a scabbard which can fit over the blade of an ice skate when the blade's toe and heel are rounded. The scabbard includes a blade-receiving slot and gripping members along the slot to frictionally grip a blade inserted into the slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,725,821 ("'821") to E. B. Nathan discloses a scabbard for an ice skate blade including two sliding fastening members each having an engagement portion formed of a resilient material such as sheet metal, and a holding means such as straps.
For users who prefer the comfort and stability of a solid, rigid walking surface, neither the '643 walker nor the '275 guard offers an ideal choice. The flanges of the '643 walker add weight which may contribute to fatigue, and some users may find the assembly cumbersome. The '275 guard is bulky and must be customized to a particular skate model. The '224 wheel cover provides only a thin, resilient surface between the wheels and ground. The '090 and '821 scabbards are adapted to ice skates rather than in-line skates. In view of the deficiencies of the existing art, what is needed is a walking sole which can provide solidity and rigidity, and which can be used with a wide variety of in-line skate brands and models.